Hi everyone,
Thank you for your replies.
However, I will never promote flying in strong gusty wind conditions. What is a common thing for one pilot (i.e regular engine out situations) is a death sentence for another.
My only point is that the older type of 3-axis microlights are just as capable today as then - don't discard them just because they are out of date. There's a lot of fun still to be had with them and looking at the selling prices over here, they normally present themselves as absolute bargains.
Regards,
Henni
Basic 4000
Anyone knows if the wing can be folded or how much effort it is to
remove?What is the dimensions?
I see a "fairing" was fitted to the one displayed here, is it possible to fit a
closed fuselage and what would the legal implications be?
Would be more practical if i could store it in my garage, hangarspace is a
real problem.
remove?What is the dimensions?
I see a "fairing" was fitted to the one displayed here, is it possible to fit a
closed fuselage and what would the legal implications be?
Would be more practical if i could store it in my garage, hangarspace is a
real problem.
Not practical to diss/assemble on a regular basis. Believe me, I've done this many times when I was younger and much more keen to fly - it is a lot of work, nothing less than one hour each time.
The wings cannot fold and if you remove the wings, you HAVE to remove the tail section also.
I would not recommend considering doing this at all - rather find hangerage. I drive 50ks there and 50ks back each time I want to fly and decided just to live with it. Hangerage should cost from R350 to R500 pm, so plan on spending it in any case.
Really, if you want to go for portable flying these days, powered paragliding would be the right thing to look at. It is amazing to see how often and easily these guys set up their rigs out of their bakkies, trailers or even cars and it really, really seems like great fun to be had. Price will also start from around R30k for a second hand unit.
Hope this helps - every answer is not always positive with regards to these type of microlights.
Henni
The wings cannot fold and if you remove the wings, you HAVE to remove the tail section also.
I would not recommend considering doing this at all - rather find hangerage. I drive 50ks there and 50ks back each time I want to fly and decided just to live with it. Hangerage should cost from R350 to R500 pm, so plan on spending it in any case.
Really, if you want to go for portable flying these days, powered paragliding would be the right thing to look at. It is amazing to see how often and easily these guys set up their rigs out of their bakkies, trailers or even cars and it really, really seems like great fun to be had. Price will also start from around R30k for a second hand unit.
Hope this helps - every answer is not always positive with regards to these type of microlights.
Henni
Magnum wrote:Morph, I'm not sure that you know what you are talking about!
You're welcome to your opinion, I'll stick to mine Cool, next time you are flying with them pop in to Morning Star and we can have a chat. I especially invite you on a strong SE day when most of the experienced trike and 3-axis pilots opt to sit on the ground.I fly in the Western Cape with a single surface Basic 3-axis and when the trikes take off, I fly with them in the same weather without a problem, which is almost every week-end.
I don't know which field you fly from but most of us 3-axis and trike pilots have flown over Sir lowries, and Franschoek pass and DuToits Kloof and BainsKloof and....I have flown straight over Sir Lowry's Pass with the Basic which very few people can talk about, especially trike pilots!!
True, but back then I was inexperienced and didn't have an inclination of how to fix this up. Today I would reroute the fuel pipes etc.By the way, if you had a pain in managing your fuel system, it is not the plane, it is the pilot - fix it up!
Greg Perkins
Hi Dieselfan,
Yes, the wings and everything else is covered with dacron. Weight as off the shelve should be around 252lbs as 254lbs used to be the limit for USA microlights back then. A fairing and instruments will add to this figure though.
On my 20 litre tank. I'll get around 2 - 2.25 hours alone, 1 - 1.5 hours dual. I must say when flying alone I cut the power right back and my flying speed would normally be closer to 40 mph most of the time.
I have learned the hard way to go very easy on my engine!
Mostly when I fly, the trikes are whizzing pass me, so they do seem to be faster unles the guys just normally fly at higher power settings.
I once at Ngodwana climbed to 13000ft, shut the engine & even with such a bad glide ratio (6-1) stayed aloft for 1.25 hours before landing. I dunno if updraughts contributed to this, but I am sure of the time.
When back at Vanderbylpark, I told my brother in law about this and he wanted me to show him what it looks like at that height. Well, I was young, brave and although it was completely illegal, took him up in a very long climb to 13000ft. Once there, he kept on indicating that he needed to tell me something. With no intercom and the engine overhead, I could not hear him. He kept looking around anxiously. Eventially, when I cut the power to idle, he shouted at me: "Ou swaer, gaan die Boeings ons nie raak ry hier nie!"
Have fun,
Henni
Yes, the wings and everything else is covered with dacron. Weight as off the shelve should be around 252lbs as 254lbs used to be the limit for USA microlights back then. A fairing and instruments will add to this figure though.
On my 20 litre tank. I'll get around 2 - 2.25 hours alone, 1 - 1.5 hours dual. I must say when flying alone I cut the power right back and my flying speed would normally be closer to 40 mph most of the time.
I have learned the hard way to go very easy on my engine!
Mostly when I fly, the trikes are whizzing pass me, so they do seem to be faster unles the guys just normally fly at higher power settings.
I once at Ngodwana climbed to 13000ft, shut the engine & even with such a bad glide ratio (6-1) stayed aloft for 1.25 hours before landing. I dunno if updraughts contributed to this, but I am sure of the time.
When back at Vanderbylpark, I told my brother in law about this and he wanted me to show him what it looks like at that height. Well, I was young, brave and although it was completely illegal, took him up in a very long climb to 13000ft. Once there, he kept on indicating that he needed to tell me something. With no intercom and the engine overhead, I could not hear him. He kept looking around anxiously. Eventially, when I cut the power to idle, he shouted at me: "Ou swaer, gaan die Boeings ons nie raak ry hier nie!"
Have fun,
Henni
Hi GR8, thanks for welcoming me, I'm just a humble aviator flying a Basic 4000 for the past 17 years! I've been a member of the WCMC for the past 17 years and served on the committee for two years.
Hey Morph, don't be so sensitive, and to refresh your memory, I have landed and took off at Morning Star 3 weeks ago on a full blown easterly cross wind in my Basic!! Your were there!! The SE is a brease, because it is straight on the runway!
The only question that was origionally asked was: Any one knows what a Basic 4000 is? And if we are not careful, this thread could result in an 8 page debate!!
Yes, the aircraft is noisy and reletively slow, prone to tubulance, but stable, old, but so is the Piper Cub, Tiger Moth etc. If you keep it well maintained, it will remain a very safe aircraftfor years.
Smalfly, if you have the opportunity to buy, I have a lot of info about them.
Cheers! :D
Hey Morph, don't be so sensitive, and to refresh your memory, I have landed and took off at Morning Star 3 weeks ago on a full blown easterly cross wind in my Basic!! Your were there!! The SE is a brease, because it is straight on the runway!
The only question that was origionally asked was: Any one knows what a Basic 4000 is? And if we are not careful, this thread could result in an 8 page debate!!
Yes, the aircraft is noisy and reletively slow, prone to tubulance, but stable, old, but so is the Piper Cub, Tiger Moth etc. If you keep it well maintained, it will remain a very safe aircraftfor years.
Smalfly, if you have the opportunity to buy, I have a lot of info about them.
Cheers! :D
Basic 4000
Had lots of fun with it. Wonder if it is still around, sold it
in 1993.
in 1993.
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Duck Rogers
- Toooooo Thousand
- Posts: 2318
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:49 pm
- Location: West Rand
Pics of my old Skyfox with fairing, steerable nosewheel, twin headlights, colour-coded seats, elevator trim and electric fuel pump to get the fuel from the "behind-the-seat-tanks" up to the main tank.
Enjoyed every minute I had with it (well, almost
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Enjoyed every minute I had with it (well, almost
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Airspeed, altitude, or brains....you always need at least two
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Duck Rogers
- Toooooo Thousand
- Posts: 2318
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:49 pm
- Location: West Rand
Thanks Henni, I thought so too. Sometimes I get the urge to make the present owner an offer to buy her back but she's unfortunately not in that good a condition anymore.Henni wrote:Hi Duck,
That must surely be the best looking Skyfox I've ever seen!
Sold her to someone who banged her around a bit. Was also at Rhino for a while. Someone at Rhino may remember the plane. Had some hard landings a few times with more than one bent tube
Eish...it's a long story. One best left alone. Needless to say it took some scrubbing to get the brown marks off the seatMorph wrote:Pray tell
Airspeed, altitude, or brains....you always need at least two
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caneco
- Flying low - mind the power lines
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 8:02 pm
- Location: KLIP RIVER AIRFIELD 125.600 MHZ
- Contact:
Re: Basic 4000
Waaooo..Nice Machines...I am start loving these planes..please if you have any spare or one of these machines in you garage ,,sell to me..thanks..
I have a paper that says I fly, now I have to learn to do well
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